Seam reefing tool



March 25, 1958 L. F. wooDEl.

SEAM REEFING TOOL Filed April 5, 195e IN VENTOR lmwldll/adl ATTORNEYSatent Y,

Patented `Mfar.125, '1.953

The present invention Vrelates in ygeneral to seam Lreeng tools, andmore particularly to hand toolsv for raking calked joints in decking andVsides of rboats and the 4like preparatory to recalking joints.

The practice of calking joints =or seams Vbetween adjacent strips ofdeck planking or side planking in boats involves the wedging of a yarnof oakum lor-cotton twist or wicking between the adjacent edges of theplanking and then paying the same with a calking compound such as meltedpitch or'other fluid composition which subsequently sets to `form ayieldable filler between .the joints. The wedging yof Vthe oakurn `yarnor cottom wicking into the seam is an extremely'tedious Vandtime-consuming job. Adequate maintenance of -boat hulls and decking manytimesA can beeifected'by'mere'ly cleaning the calking compound from theseams while leaving the oakum yarn 01 cotton wicking wedged into theAseam and applying a new calking compound filler into the clean joint,thereby drastically reducing the time and labor involved in boatmaintenance as the more time-consuming process of wedging new yarn orwicking into the seam is not performed.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a tool for rakingcalked seams to remove plastic calking compound therefrom withoutdisturbing the calking yarn or wicking lodged in the seam.

Another object of the present invention is the provi- Sion of a novelseam reefing tool for removing plastic calking compound from calkedseams without disturbing calking yarn or wicking therein, wherein meansare provided for precisely regulating the depth of insertion of the toolinto the calked seam to penetrate only to the depth of the calkingcompound.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a seamreeling tool for raking calked seams free of plastic calking compoundwithout disturbing the calking yarn or wicking therein, wherein meansare provided to adapt the tool to rake only plastic compound from seamswherein the edges of bevelled edge planking are spaced differentdistances from each other.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing illustrating one preferredembodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a seam reeng tool embodying thepresent invention, viewed from one side thereof;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the seam reefng tool, viewed from theother side thereof;

Figure 3 is an end elevation view of the seam reeiing tool, illustratedin working association with a calked seam; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal tranverse section view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designatethe corresponding parts throughout the several iigures, the seam reengtool of the present invention, generally designated "by'the-.referencecharacter 1t), comprises an elongated handle 11 from oneend :of which projects ya tool head, generally indicatedat 12. The toolSnead 12 is generally .in the shape of 'a deformed Y, having ka .neck'portion 13 from'which projects an integral spike 14 which -tap'ersto apoint at thelowerendof the spike and is provided with screw threadsalong the yopposite tapered .surfaces thereof ladapted to berec'eived inthe threaded bore-.15ct `a sleeve 16 embedded inthe handle :11. Areinforcing `'sleeve A17 extends around the upper `portion yof thehandle in which'the threaded Vsleeve 16 is embedded. t

Projecting :along vcurved paths 'from the opposite end of :the neck 13of the tool `head 1-21are a pair vof armslS, .19 which terminate insharp Vseam raking points 20 and v21, respectively. As will beapparentfrom Figures l .Sand `2 of the fdrawing,'the edges -22 of theraking points -1201'and 21 `which arenadja'cent fthe handle 11 form an:acute anglefwith the :axis of the tool so as to cam calkingrcomponnddislodgedfrom `the seam Vupwardly outof the i VVse'am'when .thetool :lllvis `positioned for'use approximately as 'illustrated :in.Figures l'and 4-2. The vsides of @the arm f 1S adjacentithe'ra'kingpoint 120 are bevelled, as indicated at 23,' along planes convergingtoward 'the apex of the point2l to :provide .fal point Ihaving Vathickness of l/e inch at its apex, andithesid'es of @the Aarm 19adjacent the raking point`Y yZltiaretapered, as indicated at 124, toprovide ran apexwhaving aatliickness fof ls inch. The inclination of therbevelled surfaceslsand 24..is designedlto correspond substantially withVthe xconventional :slight Vbevelof Y the edges of boat deckand sideplauking ,of the type designed to produce a V-shaped calking seam.

in order to limit the depth of projection of the apex of either of theraking points 2d, 21 into a calking seam, such as that indicated at 25in Figure 3, an adjustable stop arm 26 is secured at one end thereof tothe neck 13 at a point intersecting the axis of the tool and adjacentthe lower end of the neck 13 by means of a screw 2'? having a threadedshank 23 which is threaded into a complementary threaded aperture in theneck 13 of the tool head 12.

In the use of the tool, the screw 27 is loosened so as to permit thestop arm 26 to rotate freely about the shank 2S of the screw 27, andeither the raking point 2@ or 21, whichever is appropriate for thedimensions of the calking seam 25, is forced into the seam and raked ashort distance along the length thereof to remove plastic calkingcompound from the seam 2S and expose the surface of the calking yarn orwicking, indicated generally at 29. With the raking point 20 or 21 thenseated in the calking seam 25 to an appropriate depth to just contactthe surface of the calking yarn or wicking 29, the stop arm Z6 is thenrotated to engage the surface of the deck planking or side planking,indicated generally at 3G, and the screw 27 is then tightened tofrictionally clamp the stop arm 26 in this position of adjustment. Thestop arm 25 then serves as an abutment guide which limits the depth ofpenetration of the raking point 20 or 21 into the seam 2S so that as theraking point is drawn rapidly along the length of the seam, only theplastic calking compound is dislodged from the seam, and the calkingyarn or wicking 29 remains undisturbed as the raking point cannotpenetrate a sufficient distance into the seam to dislodge the yarn orwicking.

The smoothly curved arcuate upper edges of the arms 18, 19 rising fromthe depression at the juncture of the arms also affords convenientsurfaces for rolling the calking cotton down tight into the seams whereheavier planking is encountered and calking cotton is to be seated n theseams before the calking compound is applied.

While only one preferred embodiment of the invention has beenparticularly shown and described, it is apparent that other modicationsmay be made in the invention Vand` the like and leavingundisturbedcalking yarn in the seams, comprising an elongated handle, a tool headformed of a'rnetal plate in the shape of a modiiied having a neckportion removably affixed to said handle Vand, oppositelyprojectingfarms extending along curved paths and terminating in sharpraking points, the edges of the terminalportions of said armsadjace'nt.said handle forming acute angles with the'axis of said handle, and theportions of said arms adjacent said raking points ha"- ing bevelledsides converging vtoward said raking points to producerpoints ofdissimilar thickness, said bevelled sides and raking pointsedeningoutwardly converging arm portions of truncated V shaped cross-sectioncornplemental to portions of V-shaped grooves formed between adjacentedges of bevel edge boat decking Vand planking and adjustable depthgauge means affixed to said Y Vneck portion positionable Vto selectivelyextend alongside the terminal portions of either one of said arms inspaced relation to said raking points and terminating in an edge forminga stop surface for engaging the surfaces of planking` adjacent calkedseams and limit the depth of penetration of said raking points into theseams.

2. A reeling tool for raking calking compound from calked seams betweendeck and hull planking of boats and the likeand leaving undisturbedcalking yarn in the seams, comprising an elongated handle, a tool headVformed of a Ymetal platein the shape of a modied Y;

having a neck portion removably aixed to said handle andk oppositelyprojecting arms extending along curved paths and terminatingV in sharpraking points, the edges of the terminal portions of said arms adjacentsaid handle forming acute angles with the aXis of said handle, and theportions of said arms adjacent said rakingrpoints having bevelled sidesconverging toward said raking points to produce points of dissimilarthickness, said bevelled sides and raking points deining outwardlyconverging arm portions of truncated V-shaped cross-section complementalto portions of V-shaped grooves formed between adjacent edges of beveledge boat decking and planking and an adjustable stop lever journalledadjacent one end thereof on ascrew threadedly coupled to said neckportion at a point intersecting the axis of said handle, said screwserving as adjustable clamping means to frictionally lock said stoplever in selected positions wherein the free end of said stop ,leverextends alongside the terminal portion of one ofv said arms spacedrearwardly of the raking point thereon to form a bearing stop forengaging theV surfaces of Vplanking adjacent calked seams and limit thedepth of penetration'of the adjacent raking point into the seam.

References Cited in the tile of this patent Germany Dec. 11, 1939

